Residents perplexed as 'submarine of the sky' circles over Cornwall

Lisa Letcher

2 October 2024 at 10:39 am·1-min read

A bright yellow helicopter has been circling the skies above a town in Cornwall today - and people are asking what exactly it's doing. The helicopter, which some are calling a 'submarine of the sky,' was most visible above St Austell.

But while it can look quite alarming and remind us of the Cornwall Air Ambulance or Devon and Cornwall Police's search helicopters -albeit a clearly very different colour - it's actually nothing to worry about and is rarely an emergency matter.

The vibrant helicopter is part of the National Grid. It's one of five helicopters based at the energy network operator's Helicopter Unit headquarters at Bristol Airport and is used to patrol areas as part of routine checks and maintenance on the electricity network.

When spotted in the skies, people often wonder what the distinctive-looking machine, which has 'Electricity' emblazoned on its side in big letters, is up to.

The helicopters are used primarily within the electricity distribution industry for the maintenance and repair of networks and also during emergency and fault conditions.

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National Grid's helicopter unit is operated by a staff of five pilots, five observers and three maintenance engineers. The team operates out of a specially-constructed hangar and offices at Bristol Airport.

National Grid, formerly known as Western Power Distribution, has previously said : "Helicopters are used for much more than line patrolling. The machines are used effectively in construction, delivering poles and even heavier loads to inaccessible areas. The larger machines have also been equipped with special capabilities for stringing of lines which can help make the task much more efficient and also avoid any risk of land damage."

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